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Thursday, October 31, 1912: And this is Halloween. What a pity it is that I’m not out having a good time, and I’ve never had that pleasure either.

Witch (Source: Ladies Home Journal, July, 1912)

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Poor Grandma—It’s too bad that she missed all the fun. I’d be bummed, too.

Here’s what was happening in nearby Milton on Halloween, 1912:

HALLOWEEN PARTIES AND MASQUERADERS MADE NIGHT GAY

Young Folks and Old Enjoyed Selves in Various Ways

Streets Were Filled with Merrymakers

Milton was the scene of high carnival last night. Chattering and laughing, it was a merry throng that wandered up and down the length of Broadway and Front last night for hours attired in costumes that represented every character and nation under the sun, and in some costumes that didn’t represent anything in particular. . .

Milton Evening Standard (November 1, 1912)

Recent photo of Broadway and Front Streets, Milton The street is generally very quiet now. Imagine what it was like a hundred years ago with masqueraders parading through the downtown.

Oh vintage Halloween stuff is so fun, I’ve been snooping round Pinterest and it’s fun to see what people collect. Milton was really a hub of activity at all times. What a fun community to grow up in. Too bad your Gramma was missing it.

Seems to me that Miss Muffly’s family were not into the “hijinks” and “frivolity” some indulged in on “All Hallows Eve” in their part of the world 100 years ago.
We know that many Halloween activites originated in an attempt to protect oneself from malevolent spirits who were said to roam the earth, at this time of the year, when the veil between the living and the dead was lifted.
From the newspaper article, it seems that the folks in nearby Milton were using this occasion simply as an excuse to have a “Fancy Dress” parade… Interesting post. Thanks Sheryl. I wonder what others think.

Hello

I look forward to sharing my grandmother's diary with relatives and friends. Helena Muffly (Swartz) kept a diary from 1911-1914. She was 15 years old when she began this diary. I plan to post these entries one day at a time—exactly 100 years after she wrote them. I hope you enjoy this glimpse back to a slower paced time.

The header is a picture of the farm where my grandmother lived when she wrote this diary. It is located in Northumberland County in central Pennsyvlania about a mile outside of McEwenvsille. My father said that the buildings look similar to what they looked like when he was a child.